Maps
Overview Maps are commonly thought of when a geographical purpose is at hand, but the roles maps extend far beyond that to include a visual representation of themes and topics that need a sense of direction or purpose, as well as offer a unique point of view on an existing topic or space. Definition A map can be defined as a visual or diagrammatic representation of an area of land or sea, showing physical attributes such as roads and cities. They are generally perceived to be navigational aids for purposes such as calculating distances, determining routes of travel, and visualizing a particular area or theme. In the context of Writing Across Media, a map can also be defined as a depiction of the relationship between the elements of a given space such as themes and regions. Maps allow us to perceive a given space in several ways, each map offering its unique perspective on a given space or theme. Mark Monmonier claimed that all maps were rhetorical in nature and that they all explicitly made an argument about a particular theme or topic, depending upon the creator and nature of the map. Some maps created by countries and governments have a political agenda, while others and more to bring out a particular fact or piece of information. He puts across the point that even though maps are considered accurate and unbiased in the eyes of the user, they generally have lies and half-truths behind them. Katharine Harmon uses several examples of maps in her paper "You Are Here", and states that maps may be subjective, emotional or fanciful, and can even be drafted based on a place of fiction and imagination. She claims maps to be a work of art, and can take on several different shapes as seen in her paper. History Maps were first developed over 5000 years ago, and the art of creating maps is known as mapping. They were seen primarily as a work of art, and secondarily as a document of navigational reference. Unlike today, maps solely referred to the geographical representation (generally a depiction of a city, region, or the world) and were carved by hand, on stone. The invention of the printing press in the middle ages radically changed the way maps were created and perceived. Maps could be created by a larger majority of the population and was open to correction and altering. This in turn led to a deeper interest in maps and their creation, thus increasing their significance. By the late 1700s, maps with themes finally started to emerge. They depicted a particular events and happenings and were no longer just used to show cities and other landmarks. For instance, the representation of the effects of a natural disaster or an illness was often incorporated within a map. Today's mapping process and maps have a far broader scope and the meaning of the word map has changed over time. Along with for graphical representation of a geographic location, maps have gained a sense of credibility over the centuries. Makers of maps make full use of this by hiding some information, highlighting others all with the intention of sending a message. Maps have also morphed to include non-geographic meaning, and loosely related to the visual representation of a message or theme; for instance using a map to show the flow of an individual's life and ambitions is seen as a life map, and is one of the few new ways in which the term map is being utilized. Examples *''Life Maps'' - A very common example of maps in contemporary culture is Life Maps. Life Maps are often created by individuals or families to plot out their life and their future. It is used to visualize their experiences and give their lives a more tangible feeling. **Life Maps follow a chronological sequence, along with a straight path that is easy to follow. Unlike geographical maps that do not have a fixed path but instead several possible paths on the same surface, Life Maps are made to follow a fixed path - the path of one's life. * Concept Map: Another very prominent kind of Map that is not the typical geographical map is a Concept Map. Quite often used to brainstorm and come up with new connections and Ideas, a concept map is used commonly by students to link, organize, and represent the knowledge of a particular topic or subject. **Concept maps link terms of a concept or subject together via simple shapes and lines. It is a graphical way of showing a relationship and is another immensely popular form of mapping. Resources and Further Readings The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct them (JD Novak, AJ Cañas): Concept maps are graphical tools for organizing and representing knowledge. They include concepts, usually enclosed in circles or boxes of some type, and relationships between concepts indicated by a connecting line linking two concepts. Placing history: how maps, spatial data, and GIS are changing historical scholarship '(AK Knowles, A Hillier): n the last decade, historical GIS has emerged as a promising new methodology for studying the past. Historical GIS is the use of geographic information systems software and allied geospatial methods for historical research and teaching. '''From sea charts to satellite images: interpreting North American history through maps ('D Buisseret): In the book, how to use maps in teaching is spelled out carefully, but the authors also manage to sketch in the background of American mapping so the book is both a manual and a history 'The Map and the Territory 2.0 ('A Greenspan): The Map and the Territory is nothing less than an effort to update our forecasting conceptual grid. It integrates the history of economic prediction, the new work of behavioral economists, and the fruits of the author’s own remarkable career. 'The Future of the Map Isn't a Map at All—It's Information: "'Maps can be so much more than maps. They can be all the information that exists in physical space, and then a layer of intelligence that can put that information to use" '''Keywords # Geographical Rhetoric # Mapping # Medium # Visual Affordance Citations * Monmonier, Mark. "How to Lie with Maps." (1996): n. pag. Web. * Harmon, Katharine A. You are here: personal geographies and other maps of the imagination. Princeton Architectural Press, 2004. * "Fundamentals of Mapping." Fundamentals of Mapping. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2015. * "Life Road Maps - Who We Are and Where We've Come From." Facing History and Ourselves. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2015. * "Concept Map | Cmap Software." Cmap | Cmap Software. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2015. * Novak, Joseph D., and Alberto J. Cañas. "The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct them." Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition''1 (2006). * Knowles, Anne Kelly, and Amy Hillier, eds. ''Placing history: how maps, spatial data, and GIS are changing historical scholarship. ESRI, Inc., 2008. * Buisseret, David, ed. From sea charts to satellite images: interpreting North American history through maps. University of Chicago Press, 1990. * Greenspan, Alan. The Map and the Territory 2.0: Risk, Human Nature, and the Future of Forecasting. Penguin, 2014. * Rosen, Rebecca J. "The Future of the Map Isn't a Map at All—It's Information." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 30 June 2012. Web. 14 May 2015. This stub is being originated by Parichay Swarup Category:Keyword Category:Maps Category:Mapping Category:Rhetorical Category:Visual Category:Representation